Lee Donghae flips a coin over and over in his fingers, smiling down at the crowds below. He sits on a low hill overlooking the slums of the Capitol, just barely hidden behind the underbrush.

He flips the coin into the air and catches in his hand, grinning down at it. It's not much special-- just a simple dirty bit of metal with a dragon engraved into it, curling around the hole in the center. But he's had it for as long as he can remember. If the Clan is right, even for as long as he's been alive. It's the only connection at all he has to his real parents.

You plop down in the shadows next to him, munching on a steamed pork bun. "You know, if you keep flipping that thing in the air, you're gonna lose it over a cliff face. And I'm not wasting three days of my life looking for it with you, like I did when we were six."

He rolls his eyes and pulls out a length of leather cord, and then slides it through the hole in the coin. He ties the pendant around his neck, then turns to you. "You look awfully well-dressed for a girl who just stole two pork buns."

You make a face at him. "Two? How do you know I stole two?"

"Hand it over."

"No, this is mine." You make a point of taking a giant bite out of it, letting the juice drip onto the dirt.

"I know you. You never steal just one."

You shrug, and pull the second one out from under the front of your Hanbok and flip it behind your back towards him, regardless of the aforementioned large cliff face.

He catches it out of the air no problem, like you knew he would. You've been living with him for more than twenty years, always relying more on each other than anyone else, trusting him with your life. It would be absurd if you didn't trust him to catch a pork bun.

"So what's with the fancy dress?" he asks you just before taking a bite. Admittedly, he's much more used to seeing you in the shadow-black men's outfit you use to sneak into the residences of court official's houses in the deep of night.

You make a face. "Abeoji wants me to play distraction again."

Of course, "Abeoji" is a relative term. He's the leader of the Clan, a group of thieves that specialize in making trouble for corrupt authorities. They took the two of you in. You they found when the suppression of a peasant revolt ended up killing your parents. And Donghae... well, you still don't really know. All Abeoji will say is that they found him by the "East Sea." Thus, "Donghae". How original.

Donghae leans back on one hand, still eating with the other. "Still doesn't want you in the action, huh? Does he even realize that the guys call you 'The Devil's Flower' for a reason? Women are terrifying already, especially when you give them swords and teach them how to steal things."

You grin at him. You love your nickname, "The Devil's Flower". You'd earned it. Because no matter how pretty you are, you can kick all of their asses at swordplay, and they know it. Except for maybe Donghae.

"I can't complain too much," you reply, shrugging. "He trusts you and me more than anyone else. He has for some time now. That's why we get the important stuff." You wink at him, eating the last of your pork bun.

He leans forward, looking down at the people below. "So, it's a standard mission, huh? Who is it this time?"

You point off to the edge of the marketplace. "There's a noble, lord Gu, who always goes to the paper merchant's stall in order to harass his daughter. They owe him a lot of money, so she can't afford to turn him down. But he's getting really creepy with it. If no one does anything soon, he'll be taking her for "payment".

Donghae looks over and sees the disgust on your face, and his expression softens for a quick moment. But when you look directly at him, it's gone. His jaw muscles flex as he swallows, looking down at the people again. "Typical scenario."

You nod. "Typical scenario."

~

You smile as you walk through the crowd, wearing a woman's Hanbok, occasionally peeking into shopss to look at their wares before quickly striding back out, taking your time, moving slowly, as if without purpose.

You walk out of a fruit-seller's store just in time to bump into a well-dressed man, his outfit made of clean, brightly-colored silks. You bow, apologizing. "Oh my lord, I am so sorry! I was so distraught at being out at such a late hour, I didn't even look where I was going!"

Lord Gu pauses, looking down at your face. You can see his mind spin. You can see him register you as a sweet, innocent, young lady. And you know that you've already succeeded.

"Oh no, sweet girl, it's quite alright. You should be hurrying back to your house to make supper for your husband!"

Internally, you grimace, but externally, you blush and laugh. "Oh no, sir, I'm not married. But I must be rushing off to my father!"

He laughs, putting an arm around your shoulders. "Oh what a pity, for such a fine young woman, not to be married!"

You nod, wiping a tear. "Thank you for your concern, My Lord. In return, is there anything I can help you with?"

He smiles, and nods, guiding you down the street. "You see, there is a young woman I would like to make my own, but she has rejected all of my advances. I should like her to not try it again."

While you talk, out of the corner of your eye, you can see one man walk by you once, and then by you again, and then by you again. On the fourth time, he bumps against your shoulder, just lightly, and you can see the tiny glint from the coin hanging just below his collarbones.

You smile up at Lord Gu, knowing that your mission has been accomplished. "I would advise you to be careful, My Lord. She could be swept away from you if you do not act quickly!"

He looks down at you in surprise. "What is it that you mean?"

You grin, happy to be finished with this lecherous, revolting waste of flesh. "I would be careful to watch more than what pretty thing is right in front of you. After all, it is dark under the lamp."

You wink, and take off running, untying your Hanbok as you go. You know he's too stupid to realize what you've said until it's too late. You're already halfway down the street before he shouts "THIEF! AFTER THAT GIRL! SHE'S STOLEN FROM ME!"

You dash down a little space between shops, crossing into the next street, laughing. You drop the top half of your dress, still running, and then find your way into another piece of shadow, where you discard the bottom half. Finally you're in nothing but the men's clothes you'd been wearing underneath, free to move quickly. You climb onto the rooftops, quickly making your way into the thick of the market, where the roofs are so close together that they can't be seen over from the ground. Finally, you reach the city's edge, dashing into the forest just in time to meet Donghae, leisurely jogging after you.

"Next time, you be the distraction!" you pant, slugging him in the shoulder.

"OW!" He shouts. "I'm not pretty enough!"

You both fling yourselves to the ground under a ready-made camouflage blanket, breathing deeply. "Like Hell you're not," you reply, punching him again.

In this close vicinity, you can't help but smile at him. In the dark under the blanket, he can't see you anyway. He's so close, all you have to do is reach out and pull him close--

"We should be good. I heard the guard say to give up-- it's not worth getting lost in the forest," Donghae says, flinging the blanket off. He smiles at you, stretching a hand out to help you up. "Nice work out there, Devil's Flower."

You push away those thoughts of desperate affection and grab his hand, hauling yourself to your feet. "Not so bad yourself, East Sea."

He throws his arm around your shoulders while you walk back towards camp, smiling down at his feet as you mumble, "East Sea. Really, what kind of name is 'East Sea'? Couldn't it be something more impressive, like 'Black Wolf' or 'Lightning Dragon'?"

He just laughs.

~

Abeoji congratulates the two of you at supper time, giving you the privilege of being the first ones to take their share of the meat, meaning that you get the finest portions of the roasted pork, to compliment the buns you'd stolen earlier that day.

"As usual, we can thank this pair for the meat that we eat today," Abeoji says with a smile, resting a dirty hand on each of your heads. "The amount that Donghae was able to steal from Lord Gu while he was focused on the girl was more than enough to both pay back the debt that the paper merchant owed Lord Gu and to fill our stomachs. So do not be afraid to eat as much as you can! We've earned it! To the Clan!"

"To the Clan!" you all cheer before tearing into the tender, delicious pork.

You're ravenous, after all of that running, but Donghae is just staring down at it. Weird. He's usually just as hungry as you are.

"Hey, Fishy, are you alright?" you ask him, setting aside your plate.

He looks up at you, like you've just pulled him out of a daze. "Oh, what, me? Sorry. I was just thinking about something."

You take a bite of rice, looking at him over your bowl. "What is it? You know you can tell me anything."

He reaches up and runs his fingers around the coin at his throat, like he always does when he's thinking. "Anything? Really?"

You raise your eyebrow, your lips turning up at the corners. "You didn't wet the bed again, did you?"

He sighs harshly, standing up right away. "Forget it."

You're a bit surprised by his reaction. "Donghae-ah, I was just kidding--" you call after him, but he's already heading towards his tent.

"Just forget it."

You can't help but feel a bit hurt, not knowing what was wrong with him. But maybe it's best to just leave him alone for a while. You eat the rest of your food, although you no longer feel hungry, and then join the guys in cleaning up. Putting out the fire. Cleaning your utensils.

There are only about three women in the Clan, including you. Joseon Period expectations usually discourage females from thoughts of any kind of freedom, let alone wearing men's clothes and fighting against an oppressive government. Those that are here are like you, orphans of some kind of ridiculous punishment, like their parents being run over in the street because they had been in the path of some impatient Noble.

When everything is cleaned up, you wander out of the campsite, out to the cliff, where you and Donghae always sit to make your mission plans out.

The wind rustles your hair, and you feel your heart begin to ache. There are so many stars in the sky, and yet so many lights in the city below. As if the city is trying to mimic the heavens.

"Why do you torture yourself so, my dear?" Abeoji asks, sitting next to you in the underbrush.

"What do you mean?" you ask, keeping your voice level, as if you had not just been on the brink of tears.

"You cannot fool me," Abeoji replies, opening his arms. You accept his embrace, burying your face in the familiar forest-like smell of him.

"I am a fool," you declare, closing your eyes.

"No, you are not a fool," he returns, patting your back. "You are a coward."

You sit up straight, shocked. "Me? A coward?! I have always been the first to volunteer for missions! I have fought, stolen, and tricked more than anyone in the Clan!"

Abeoji chuckles. "More even than me, I'm sure. But you are still a coward, dear girl. You may be the Devil's Flower, but that makes you no less of a flower. I have seen you fight alone, and I have seen you fight alongside Donghae. A fool would be unable to see how much happier you are when he is by your side, and how much happier he is when you are by his."

You clench your fist, feeling a lump rise in your throat. "He is my friend."

"And that is why you are a coward."

You tense, and then relax, in resignation. "You are right, Abeoji. I am. I suppose... As much as I want to tell him... I fear losing him so much more. We have been friends for so long, Abeoji... I don't know any other way to interact with him. I make jokes, I . That's what's kept us together for so long. If I stop, what if he stops caring anymore?"

He embraces you again, patting the top of your head. "He will not do that, and you know it. I have done all that I can for the two of you. It is not safe, this life, but it was all I had to offer you. The two of you are grown, now. You may find your own path, if this one is unsuitable for you."

"But, Abeoji, I love this life!"

He puts a finger to your lips, smiling gently. "If you go or if you stay, I know that the two of you will be doing it together."

You embrace him tightly, knowing that Abeoji, warm, loving Abeoji, who can steal the clothes right off of a man's back, but had always shown you kindness-- is right. You cannot be brave when you are not afraid. You are brave when you fear doing something, and do it anyway. You do not fear city guards, nor the lustful gazes of Noblemen, nor the darkness of the night nor the mystery of the forest. You have only one great fear.

That you may lose Donghae.

~

It is well into the night when you finally return to your tent. The watchmen are out, making sure the Clan is not dealt a surprise attack by soldiers of Court Officials trying to get rid of the growing pest problem.

Your turn to be the watchman is tomorrow, since you've already exhausted yourself today. You and Donghae always take guard duty together, using bird-calls as your means of communication to say I'm bored or should we play a prank?

The memory makes you smile as you slip into your tent, collapsing onto your bedroll. You'll have to talk to Donghae tomorrow when you're both on guard duty, alone. That's the only way you'll be able to get up the guts to tell him anything.

Tomorrow.

You're just starting to drift off to sleep when a shadow passes over your tent. You sit up quickly, grabbing your sword, sitting just next to your pillow. Your hair spills out behind you, not being held by its usual knot while you sleep.

You unsheathe it, that satisfactory shink as the metal slides out making adrenaline pump into your system.

But then you hear, "Shh, it's just me". And then Donghae is stepping into your tent, fully dressed, all in black. 

You blush, covering yourself up with your bedroll, glaring at him. "Donghae-ah, I know you forget it sometimes, but I am female!" you hiss.

He darts his gaze away, himself blushing. You don't know why he's getting so upset. To be honest, both of you have seen each other in less clothes than this, due to your constant on-the-go living style. And you know you're bothered because of your revelation that night. But why is he so...

"I'm sorry. I just... it couldn't wait," he whispers.

"What couldn't wait?" you ask exasperatedly.

"I want you to help me sneak into the palace."

"WHAT?!"

"Shhhhhh!!!! Do you want to wake up the whole camp?!" he hisses.

You stare at him, still having a hard time comprehending what he's saying. "You want to sneak into the palace. The royal palace?! Are you crazy?!" You're just barely keeping your voice in whispering range. "What brought that idea on?"

He frowned, sitting down on the bare ground, his feet out in front of him. "It's just... it feels like no matter what we do, we're more than an annoyance than anything. We never make any real change, you know? Abeoji lost his wife and his son to famine while the Lord was throwing a feast. You lost your parents. And I... I don't even know. We try to fix the little things, but we never hit the cause. If we want to do something, really do something-- we've got to get it at its source."

You bite your lip, hard. "So what exactly are you asking me to help you do?"

He reaches up and closes his fist around the coin, closing his eyes. "I want you to help me steal from the Emperor.